Doctor Who: A SciFi Soap Opera
by Clawesia
Summary: "Doctor Who: A Sci-Fi Soap Opera" created by  Time  and  Scotland's Pond , brought to you by the BBC.  Not really a soap opera, this a story stemmed from the wonderful minds of two wonderful people, about an amazing man and his incredibale assistants.
1. Chapter 1

Rhys Grey woke with a start. She was lying on her back in the middle of a grassy field. Sitting up quickly, she glanced around, her heart pounding. _Where am I?_ she thought to herself. Pushing her long red hair out of her face and adjusting her glasses, she slowly got to her feet. She turned slowly on the spot. That was when she caught sight of another figure in the distance. Rhys squinted but when she did the figure had disappeared. _This place is really starting to creep me out_ she thought nervously. _C'mon Rhys! Brave heart!_ she added in her mind. Steeling her nerves, she slowly started to walk across the field. "Maybe someone else is here!" she whispered to herself but her words did nothing to reassure herself. "Yeah, someone else _has_ to be here! I mean, I can't be in no man's land right?" she continued to speak to herself. Brushing a lock of red hair off her face, she forced herself to continue her trek across the seemingly endless meadow.

The Doctor fiddled with three very bright and probably very dangerous wires, attempting to fix a problem he really hadn't yet worked out. The TARDIS buzzed in his head, telling him very clearly that he was doing that wrong. "No, no, I know exactly what I am doing, thank you." The TARDIS protested, and he grinned. "Well, alright. _Almost_ exactly what I am doing." He frowned. "Oh, fine then. I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, and hoping this works. Happy now?" he complained grumpily, standing up and dusting himself off before walking back up to the top of the control platform, grabbing at the controls. "Alright, how about we-" A sudden jolt from the TARDIS cut him off, as he was forced to cling to the console to avoid falling over. He waited until the TARDIS landed, leaping to his feet that second and rushing to the doors. "Now, what could have possibly dragged us this far off course?" he mused, opening the doors and stepping outside. "Hmm...Looks like Earth, smells like earth...And yet..." He began muttering to himself, rubbing his chin as he looked around him. He was in the middle of a grassy field, the TARDIS humming unhappily behind him. "Shh, I know," he muttered absently, turning around to get a better look at his location.  
>The Doctor frowned and walked away from the TARDIS despite the machine's rather demanding complaints. His hands in his pockets, he trekked up a little hill to see if he could find out where he was on his own. Standing at the top of the grassy hill, he looked around, a glimpse of a brilliant red catching the corner of his eye. Turning, he caught sight of a girl walking across the field. They seemed to be the only two here, so he called out to her. "Oi! Hello down there!" he called cheerfully, waving at her.<p>

Rhys turned on the spot at the sound of the voice. It was a man, calling to her. Near him she could make out a blue box. She hesitated a minute. _Did he bring me here?_ she thought for a moment. Then, she started to run towards him. _He's the only other person I can see so I guess I'll have to talk to him_… When she drew closer to him, she slowed before stopping a few feet away from him. "Umm...hello" she said cautiously, not ready to trust him yet.

The Doctor smiled and slipped his hand back inside his pocket. "Hello! And who might you be?" he asked smiling, all the while taking in his surroundings and categorizing everything in his head.

"Rhys. Rhys Grey." she replied. "And you?" she asked, looking him over. He was much taller than her and quite thin, with dark brown hair that looked a little out of control. He was wearing a blue pinstripe suit and tie and a pair of bright red converse. She looked down at her own clothes, which consisted of a dark blue t-shirt, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of dark blue ballet flats.

"Hello, Rhys Grey! I'm the Doctor. Pleasure to meet you!" The Doctor glanced over her head to look out over the expanse of field. "Nothing but a field...It looks like Earth, but it doesn't quite _feel_ like Earth..." he mumbled to himself. "Do you happen to know where we are, by any chance?" he asked, turning his attention back to the girl in front of him.

"Only the Doctor? Doctor who?" Rhys asked, scrunching her face up.

The Doctor shook his head. "Just the Doctor," he said .

"Shouldn't you know where we are? Didn't you bring me here?" she added hastily. "I mean you're the only other person I've seen…" Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

"No, I didn't bring you here. In fact, something pulled my TARDIS way off course, and I ended up here, same as you. I _was _on my way to Glist, lovely planet, beautiful really…." He turned and looked around behind him, peeking behind the TARDIS. "I have no idea where we are," he said cheerfully, a bright smile on his face as he turned back to Rhys.

"What in the name of sanity is a TARDIS" Rhys blurted out. This mysterious Doctor spoke so strangely it made her head spin.

"That's my TARDIS," he said, gesturing to the police box behind. "Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. T-A-R-D-I-S. TARDIS.

"And why do you think we're here? How did _I_ get here! I was just walking...and I woke up here..." She shook her head, trying to comprehend everything that had happened so far.

The Doctor shrugged. "No, I don't know why I'm here. Something jerked the TARDIS off course, which shouldn't have been possible, really, actually quite impossible, not very possible at all, so how..." he muttered, running his hand over the TARDIS. "Did they do it?"

Rhys sighed, feeling a bit testy with the Doctor. "So...d'ya suppose we should look around a bit? Find out who brought us here? Or are we going to stand around stroking a box?" With that, she started to walk away from him. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to have a look around this place," she called over her shoulder.

"Hey! She isn't just 'a box'." He sighed, hurrying after her. "All right then. Here, which is...well, 'where' would be the first thing to find out..." He reached into his suit and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Holding it out, he clicked it until it emitted a high pitched frequency, and lit up a pretty blue colour. Pulling it back, he frowned at it. "Hmm...Well, that explains nothing." He pocketed the screwdriver and glanced down at her. "Where to first?"

Rhys grinned when he jumped to the TARDIS's defence. She thought for a moment before pointing to their right hand side. "Let's try that way." She suggested.

The Doctor shrugged, turning in that direction. "Sure." He walked slowly through the field, collecting every bit of data he could pick up from the field and storing it. It was incredibly peaceful, but it was quiet. A little to quiet, if you asked him. No animals, no noise, no other people...Or, wait a tick...Was that... "Oh, but it is!" He picked up the pace, hurrying over to the lone figure in the distance. 'Why, hello there! And who are you?" he asked, stopping beside a girl of maybe nineteen, with long black hair.

She looked up, startled, to see a rather thin man in a blue pinstripe suit, his brown hair tousled in a very messy but cute way atop his head. And his eyes...She liked those hazel eyes. "Oh, I...I'm Esme. Pleased to make your aquatince..."

"I'm the Doctor," he said, shaking the woman's hand. "And this is Rhys, my companion. I don't suppose you happen to know where we are or how we got here, do you?" he asked, frowning when she shook her head. "Well, why don't you travel with us then? Until we can figure out where we are and how to get you two home."

Rhys smiled at Esme and shook her hand. "Hi!" she said. She was still rather surprised at how the Doctor introduced her. _We've only just met!_ she thought to herself. That was when she noticed how Esme was looking at the Doctor. Something burned inside her. Jealousy? _No way! He's got to be at least twenty years older than me!_ Angry at herself, she expelled the thoughts from her mind, for now.

Esme nodded. "All right. If it isn't too much trouble, I would love to join you." She smiled sweetly up at the Doctor, happy that she already had a goal established in the short time that she had been...Well, wherever _here_ was.

"We would love to have you along with us! Now, let's move along, shall we?" The Doctor turned and began walking back through the field.

They had been walking a long time now, around an hour or so, and the girls were complaining. He glanced around again once more, when something in the distance caught his eye. It looked like..."Oh? Is that a building?"

Rhys squinted. "Yes...I see it too!" She glanced up at the Doctor. "So...are we going to head towards civilization?" she supplied, grinning.

The Doctor nodded. "Allons-y!" he exclaimed, moving on towards the building.

Esme smiled and nodded, walking close to the Doctor. She sent a glare towards the girl behind them, just daring her to say anything.

Rhys smiled at the Doctor and walked near him on his other side. She noticed Esme glaring at her. 'Clingy aren't we?' she mouthed at her.

Esme smiled sweetly at the girl. 'Oh, but I am. Just you wait,' she mouthed back, smirking. She turned her attention back towards the Doctor, striking up a conversation with him. "So, what was your job back home?" she asked. "I was a dancer. A theatre ballerina."

The Doctor smiled. "I'm a Doctor," he answered. "A dancer! I love watching dancers. Artists in general are enough to catch my attention," he enthused, grinning down at the girl.

Esme looked up, taking his arm. "I'll have to show you sometime, now won't I?"

Rhys huffed angrily but regained her composure almost immediately. "Well I'm a musician!" she said, taking the Doctor's other arm. "I'm going to Juilliard in the United States for violin and piano."

The Doctor blinked at Rhys. "Really? I love the violin! Marvellous instrument, gorgeous sound." He smiled at the two girls, completely oblivious to what was really going on.

"Have you heard of Freedom Brand jeans? I'm their newest model! Just started about a week ago, actually!" Esme said, not to be outdone. Her long raven black hair blew behind her in the wind, as she barely noticed that they were closer to the building.

Rhys paid no attention to how close they were to the building. "Yes, well, I was accepted into Juilliard on a full scholarship but I was accepted into all of the world's _best_ music schools! I also play the piano for the New York Philharmonic!" She stared daggers at Esme behind the Doctor's back but also gave a triumphant smile, as if to say 'Top that!'

"Ah! Here we are!" the Doctor said, coming to a stop in front of the building, he ran his hand along the sides, looking for a way in. "No door...A building in the middle of a field of grass, a big building, enormous, but no way in..." He frowned and stepped back, disentangling himself from the two girls. "Alright, girls! Start hunting down a way in!"

Nodding, Esme moved away to start searching the ground. She felt along the base of the building, jumping back when a click sounded and a portion of the wall slipped in. "Doctor! I think I found it!" She stood and peered into the hole. It was decent sized; her and that other girl could fit in easily. The Doctor would have to duck the whole way, though...

The Doctor smiled at Esme's call, hurrying over. "Very nice, Esme. Come along, Grey!" he called out to Rhys, ducking down and heading inside, Esme close behind.

Rhys had just gone 'round the other side of the building when she heard the Doctor call for her. She ran over to wear he was and saw he and Esme had found a way in. "Ugh, small spaces" she muttered to herself. She was _way_ claustrophobic but she forced herself to continue.

The tunnel was long, and curved in all sorts of weird directions. Spotting a light on the other end, he hurried through, emerging happily on the other side. Straightening up, he leaned back, cracking his back and sighing in relief. "When we leave, we are finding a different way out," he informed the girls, turning back to examine the room. "Alright, empty room, no furniture...Door!" He headed towards the door and turned the doorknob, only to discover it was locked. "Alright then..." He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and held it to the doorknob, waiting for the tell tale click that meant the door had unlocked. Smiling, he slipped the screwdriver back into his pocket and opened the door, stepping through.

"Hold on...What?" he exclaimed, running over to the middle of the room, where his TARDIS was perched dead centre. "How did you get in here?" He reached out to touch it, only to have his hand shocked. Drawing it back quickly, he scowled at the police box. "Well, someone obviously knew I was going to find you...But who?"

Rhys didn't laugh when the Doctor talked about finding a different way out. She was terrified of what they'd find. She could _feel_ the blood draining from her face. She reached up to adjust her eyeglasses with a shaky hand and resisted the urge to run over and grab the Doctor's hand. She didn't want to seem like a fraidy-cat in front of him _or_ Esme. Swallowing, she walked over to the Doctor, who was staring at the box from before. "That's your...TARDIS, isn't it?" she whispered nervously

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, it is...So what is it doing in here?" he muttered, searching around the room for a switch. Finding none, he scanned the invisible field around the TARDIS with his screwdriver, scanning the results. "Well, bugger," he exclaimed. "That field around the TARDIS is specifically engineered to a Time Lords DNA, meaning I can't touch it, which also means that whoever did this wants me specifically..." 

Rhys looked up at him and stared. "A what Lord? What are you talking about?" she asked, furring her eyebrows. She reached out to touch the TARDIS and nothing happened. "This is bloody weird..." she murmured, her voice trailing off.

The Doctor waved her off. "A Time Lord. It's what I am. My species. Look, I'll explain later. For now, we need to figure out how to get this field off..." He scowled, scanning the room again. "Any ideas on where to start?"

Rhys nodded, thinking _Okay...I'll go with it for now._ "If it's like a force field or something, shouldn't there be a generator?" She replied slowly. It'd been a while since her last sci-fi flick. "So if we take it out, the field will shut down, right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, but where would I find that?" He moved around the TARDIS, searching for any sign of one.

Esme backed up, trying to get the whole room in her view, only to trip over a small, black box. "Doctor, like this?" she called, eyeing the little box.

The Doctor ran over to Esme, beaming at her. "Oh, I could kiss you!" he exclaimed. "But first, we need to find out who did this..."

Rhys crossed her arms over chest and stared angrily at Esme. "Uh Doc...Are you wonky today? It's a box!" she said crossly. "Aren't generators much, oh I don't know, _bigger_?" she turned away from the pair and caught sight of another door. She tiptoed over and quietly turned the handle. It creaked open. Glancing over her shoulder, she disappeared into the room.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, this is alien technology to you. Much more advanced, smaller, compact. And- Wait. Rhys?" he stood and hurried after the girl, following her into the room.

Rhys looked behind her to see the Doctor following her. "Can't I go anywhere alone?" she asked bitterly. "I'm not five y'know." The room they had arrived in was pitch black. She felt along the wall until she came in contact with a light switch. She flipped it on and light flooded the room.

The Doctors eyes went wide and he grabbed Rhys's hand just as Esme walked in. "No! Get out!" he yelled at her, and she obeyed, terrified at his sudden outburst. "Okay, listen to me very carefully. Stay close to me. Don't move, don't even blink. Back out of the room as slow as you can..."

The room was full of Angels.

Rhys clutched the Doctor's hand and pulled closer to them. "Doctor, what are they?" she whispered. Something in the Doctor's tone made her obey. She stared at what appeared to be stone statues of angels without blinking. The lights in the room flickered.

The Doctor began backing out of the room. The whole building..."It's covered in Angels...These are Weeping Angels. Made completely of stone _until you look away._ They'll kill you in a heartbeat the second you blink." Understanding lit up his face. "That's what they wanted...That's why they brought me here, for my TARDIS. And they brought you two here...Esme!" he yelled, dragging her out of the room. Esme was backed up against a corner, an Angel reaching out in front of her. "Come on!" He threw Rhys against the TARDIS, running over to Esme. He grabbed her hand and tossed her to Rhys. "Here!" He handed Rhys the key to the TARDIS. "Inside, now! I'll join you in a second!" Grabbing the little black box off the floor, he grabbed his screwdriver and began sonicing it, messing around with it. If he worked it enough, he could wire it to take out the whole building. He had to hurry, though. Every time the lights flickered, the Angels grew closer to him.

Rhys stuffed the TARDIS key into Esme's hand and raced into the Doctor. "I'm not leaving you!" she cried. "I'll watch them for you." she offered. She stared at the Angels, but the lights flickered again and they moved closer.

The Doctor grabbed her arm and pushed her over towards the TARDIS. "Get in the TARDIS, Rhys!"

Esme paced nervously in front of the big blue box. "Come on, get over here, please!" she called to Rhys.

Rhys bit her lip but hurried over to Esme. "Hurry! Open it!" she urged her

The Doctor groaned in frustration, poking at the box until the graphic stimulators and the warps lined up. 

Esme slipped the key into the lock and turned it, stumbling inside. "Whoa..."

Rhys's eyes widened at the sight of the TARDIS. "It's bigger on the inside!" she gasped in surprise. She stared in awe. But her awe turned to worry. "The Doctor better hurry up and get in here because if he dies, I'll kill him!" she muttered to herself, anger masking the nervousness tearing at her on the inside.

There was one loud word yelled in Gallifreyan, which the TARDIS thankfully didn't translate as the lights in the room went out completely, and the Doctor disappeared from their view.

"Doctor!" Esme yelled, tears in her eyes. "Doctor!"

Rhys felt a single tear roll down her cheek. "What're we going to do without him?" she whispered. _What am I going to do without him?_ Moving quickly, Rhys closed the TARDIS doors and turned to Esme. "We can't let those Angels in." She said, her voice breaking at the end.

"But he's still out there!" Esme yelled. Rhys only shook her head, and Esme collapsed onto the floor, leaning against one of the poles.


	2. The Gem City

There was a sudden, loud boom, and the TARDIS shook, knocking the girls to the floor. The TARDIS doors opened, and someone threw themselves in. "John!" Esme exclaimed, throwing herself at him. "I thought those Angel things had gotten you..."

The Doctor smiled, hugging her back. "Nah. I wouldn't let some silly little Angels kill me!" He looked up at Rhys and walked over to the TARDIS controls. "Right then! We need to leave. Now. This whole place is going to explode. Remember what I said about finding a different way out?" He grinned and pulled a lever, flipping a few switches and pressing a button. "Well, here it is!" The TARDIS hummed, and the box shook again. The Doctor gripped the controls. "Yes I'm back...Oh come on. Can't you yell at me later?" he said, fondly stroking the TARDIS console. "So, girls, happy to see I'm alive?"

Rhys gasped as the Doctor walked in. She stood by the TARDIS controls unsure of what to do. That was when Esme threw herself into the Doctor's arms. And he hugged her back. To make matters worse, he walked right by her! She stared at him angrily for a moment, and then, without thinking, punched him in the arm as hard as she could. "I'm cross with you right now!" she exclaimed, "I thought you were dead and you're acting like it's no big deal!"

"Ow! That actually hurt!" The Time Lord grumbled to himself as the TARDIS scanned his most recent memories. "It's not a big deal. I almost die every second of every day. Now, tell me where you live so I can take you home," he said, turning back to the console.

"What? You're kicking us out? What a minute...how are you planning on getting us anywhere?" Rhys's words came in a rush. She didn't see how this box could get them anywhere!

The Doctor sighed, leaning on the console. "Alright then. Before you decide you want to stay with me, there are certain things you need to know. So, ask away. Any question that might have popped up while we there, any quiestions you have now...shoot."

Rhys thought for a moment. "Well I have two or three...One, where can this TARDIS go?" she asked, her face curious.

The Doctor smiled. "The TADIS is a time machine. Anywhere and everywhere, everything that is, was, or ever will be. Every planet, every star, every galaxy ever created, the whole of time and space at our fingertips. Now, I have a question for you." He grinned, that chesire cat grin and turned to look at the girls. "Where to first?"

Rhys gaped at him. "But I've got nothing to wear! All my clothes are back at my dorm!" she exclaimed.

"You can use the TARDIS wardrobe. Any other questions?" he asked, a little disapointed by her unsurprised reaction. _Clothes...Is that all girls think about? I just introduced her to a whole new concept of space and time, and she asks about clothes? Women..._ he thought, shaking his head.

Rhys nodded, a little overwhelmed. "Can we go to the future?" she asked. She wanted to know what it was like. "But preferably, not Earth." she added. Patting the Doctir's arm as she walked by, she announced, "While you do that, I'm gonna go check out that wardrobe."

"Women..." he muttered, turning back to the controls as Esme followed after her.

"So," Rhys said, trying to start up a conversation as she and Esme tried to navigate through the TARDIS. "Where're you from?" she asked.

Esme glanced over at Rhys. "A little town with no name in Scotland," she replied, shuffling through the wardrobe. Crying out in triumph, she pulled out a pair of cargo skinnys. "Freedom brand, of course," she said gleefully.

Rhys rolled her eyes but continued digging through the wardrobe. "I'm from London, originally. My family had a flat in Elephant & Castle. But since I got accepted into Juilliard, I've been living in New York." Grinning, she found the perfect outfit for herself. "I'm gonna go put this on." she told Esme, before heading to an empty room.

Esme rolled her eyes and slipped into a pair of black skinny's and a black and white tank top. She wasn't going to lose John to that girl. No way...

Rhys glanced over at Esme and almost snorted out loud at her outfit selection. _Well, she needs a little color in her life_ she thought. _I'll win the Doctor's heart in the end though._ Smoothing her hair, she took a peek at herself in a mirror, smiled, and headed back to the control room.

"Hello Esme, Grey. Are you girls ready to head out to Galbtor? And remember, any questions, feel free to ask," he added absently, flitting about the controls, his glasses perched on his nose.

"So, Doctor. What's Galbtor like?" Rhys asked. She leaned against the controls next to him and gave a huge smile.

"It's mostly like Earth. Big, roundish. No oceans, but the trees are blue. Sapphires. The people are just like us. But purple. Very very purple. Lilac purple. Pretty purple, like-Here we are!" he inturuppted himself as the TARDIS jolted to a landing. "Ladies!" he said, waving his hand towards the door.

Rhys grinned. She couldn't believe it. She was about to set foot on another planet! She, Rhys Adelaide Grey, was on another planet. She looked at the Doctor. "Seriously. We're on another planet? You're not just a mad man with a box, right?" she asked teasingly.

The Doctor grinned. "There's something you better understand about me, 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it... I am definitely a madman with a box."

Rhys laughed. "Well c'mon then. Let's go have a look, shall we?" She slipped her arm around his and shot a look at Esme. "Lead the way!"

"Coming, Esme?" the Doctor asked as the model ran up beside him and took his other arm. Pushing open the door to the TARDIS, he stepped outside. It was a field of bright, emerald green grass, surrounded by bright, sapphire woods. A silver city stood shining in the middle of the field. "Welcome to Galbtor!" Huge machines whizzed high above their heads, leaving trails of sparkling white in the sky.

Rhys gasped at the beauty of Galbtor. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "It's amazing, Doctor!" She gazed up at him. "Can we explore?" she asked, her eyes ablaze with excitement.

"Well, that is why we're here, isn't it? This is the the city of Gomeg, capitol of the planet. I assume you two would want to check out the market?" he suggested, looking towards the sparkling city. "Gomeg...Second only to Gallifrey in beauty..." he whispered to himself, then began the walk towards the marvolous place.

"Sure!" Rhys nodded, then hesitated. "But I'm sorta broke." she added, slapping the empty pockets of her jeans. Even this notion couldn't dampen her joy. This place was unreal!

"Don't worry, taken care of! I'll get you girls some Gizon, that's the currency here, once we reach the city." Walking in underneath a brilliant gold archway, the Doctor felt both his hearts speed up. He had always both loved and hated it here. It reminded him of home. Forcing the image from his ehad, he walked over to what was basically a glorified ATM and raised his sonic screwdriver to it, collecting the money that shot out. "Here you are!" he said, deposting a bag full of gold and silver triangles in each of their hands.

"Oi" Rhys said seriously. "Isn't that stealing?" But her grin gave away the fact that she was teasing him. She held up one of the gold triangles. "Strange little things aren't they?"

The Doctor smiled and held a finger to his lips. Picking up a little silver one, he nodded. "they are to you. But to them your paper bills and circular coins are strange as well."

Esme fingered her bag, rifling through it and letting the coins fall through her fingers. "Real silver and gold...And so pretty..."

Rhys nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." She looked at the coin a second longer, then dropped it back into the bag. "So, there's a market, yeah?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yep" Right this way." He turned and headed down a side street, coming out into a large, circular area of silver bricks. There were booths made of silks and marble set up all over the square, and hundreds of life forms, not just the planets natives, were roaming about, buying from the stalls. "Go on and explore!"

"Wow..." Rhys breathed. "This is amazing!" She wandered away from the Doctor. In the corner of her eye she caught sight of an interesting little booth full of newspapers. "Umm, hello." she greeted the purple woman behind the counter. "How much for one newspaper?" "Two grizon" the woman replied, holding out her hand. Rhys handed her one gold triangle, hoping it was enough so she wouldn't look stupid. To her relief the woman handed her a newspaper in return. Suprisingly enough, the paper was in English. The headline, in big letters said **Missing People Found Mutated.**

Esme grabbed the Doctors hand and pulled him after her. "Come on, John!" she said, her eyes sparkling as she took in the sights.

The Doctor smiled and followed after her, letting her lead him to a jewelery booth. She picked up a blue pearl necklace, holding it to her neck. "What do you think?" she asked. He shook his head and pointed to another necklace, this one a golden yellow like honey, in all sorts of odd geometric shapes. "Try that one," he suggested, holding it up to her. It looked great against her skin, and she smiled, handing over the Grizon for it.

Rhys's eyes widened in horror as she scanned the article. She had to find the Doctor! She ran away from the newspaper booth and quickly scanned the area. Giving up, she stood in the middle of the crowded market and shrieked, "Doctor!" Her voice was shrill but loud enough to draw attention to herself.

The Doctor's head shot up. Was that Rhys yelling for him? Grabbing Esme's hand, he pulled her towards Rhys's voice. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, scanning her eyes.

"Look at this!" she told him, stuffing the newspaper into his face. "Can you believe it? I think we should investigate." She glanced over at Esme and caught sight of the necklace. "Euh.." she shuddered.

"You cold?" the Doctor asked absently, noting her shudder and scanning the newspaper. "Mutated...Well, looks like we need to go have a chat with the police, then. You coming?" he asked, handing Rhys back the newspaper.

Esme glared at Rhys, before turning her attention back to the Doctor and reading the paper with him.

"No, I just saw something nauseating," Rhys said, narrowing her eyes at Esme. "But yeah, police. Let's go see 'em." she agreed. She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and flashed the Doctor a grin. "I've always wanted to be an investigator!"

Esme made a face at her. "Really? Did you accidently look in a mirror?" she snarled.

The Doctor was absolutely baffled. "What's going on with you two?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Well I tried to but it was broken. Must've caught a glimpse of you!" Rhys hissed back. She didn't answer the Doctor and kept her eyes on Esme. "By the way, are you just really desperate? Because you're rather obvious you know."

The Doctor blinke. "Obvious about what?" he asked, looking down at the fighting women. Why did women always fight with each other when he was around? He didn't get it. "Women are one thing, human women are a whole nother..." he muttered, looking with wide eyes at the two.

"Oh, just about how in love with you Rhys is. Now come on, we have a job to do!" With that said, she turned on her heel and grabbed the Doctors arm, pulling the bewildered man after her. The police station was just up ahead, and she took her time getting there, ignoring the questions the Doctor was firing at her.

Rhys stood in the middle of the market alone. She wasn't about to go with them after what Esme had just said. She sighed. Perhaps she'd go wait back in the TARDIS then demand the Doctor bring her back to Juilliard. _Maybe he'll come back for me_ one half of her was thinking but another half said _Not bloody likely._ She flopped down on a marble bench, waiting to see if he noticed she was gone.

Finally stopping in front of teh police station, or the Waantar here, the Doctor pulled his arm from her grasp and sighed, running his hand through his already messy hair. "This is great..." he muttered angrily. "Alright, you wait here and _do not move._ I'm going to get Rhys." He turned and headed back the way they came, calling for Rhys, leaving a rather grumpy looking Esme behind him.

Rhys felt the flow of tears start. They spilled down her cheeks and dripped onto the bench. "He's not coming..." she whispered to herself. "He doesn't care..."

Finally catching sight of Rhys seated on a silver becnh, he hurried over to her, crouching down in front of her when he noticed the tears, silver as the city they were in. "Hey, Rhys, what is it? What's the matter?" he asked gently, wiping her tears away. He wasn't good at this comforting thing, he never had been really, but he could try, right?

Rhys bit her lip. She hadn't thought of what to say if he _did_ show up. "It's nothing." she answered, trying to sound strong but failing. "Really. Just...go back to Esme." she said, not looking up.

Misunderstanding, the Doctor shook his head. "She's safe. I left her with the police of this world." He stood and sat beside her on the bench, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "People don't cry over nothing. Now, come on. Tell me what's wrong."

Sighing, Rhys put her hands over face for a moment. What was she supposed to tell him? I love you? No way! "Well Esme already said it. Why don't you ask her. You two are close enough," She put her hands over her mouth as she said the last part. _Did I say that out loud?_

The Doctor looked curiously at her. "What do you mean? I'm as close to her as I am to you..." he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Look, why don't you just come with me, and we can solve this mystery, eh? Besides, Esme has informed me she wishes to return home once this is over," he added, looking out into the crowd. ighing, he ran his hands through his tousled hair, leaning back against the bench. He just never could get humans and all their emotions...

"No, you don't get it," Rhys replied, "You two are acting like Mr. and Mrs. and treating me like the kid sister. You don't know how it feels to..." she stopped abruptly, not wanting to say it. She wasn't sure what he'd say if she did. _Maybe he's in love with Esme._ she thought. _Maybe.._

The Doctors gaze suddenly hardened and he sat up. "Don't know how it feels to what? I know how it feels to feel a lot of things, Rhys, things you can't even begin to imagine. My family, my entire _planet,_my whole _species_ is gone because of me.I've had my heart broken more times than I care to count. I've lost hundreds of people I've loved. I will never see them again. Don't tell me I don't know how it _feels_ Rhys, because odds are, I do."

Rhys looked away, not expecting him to be so harsh. "Sorry..." she whispered, "Is that you're way of telling me to spit it out?" she added, lowering her gaze.

The Doctor plastered his fake smile on his face again and nodded. "Yep, pretty much!" he said with a smile. That plastic smile...He seemed to be made of fake laughs and smiles more than the real ones lately. Like he was always wearing a mask...But of course, he had much to hide, so, so much bottled up inside him. Hee _had_ to keep those secrets.

Rhys took a deep breath and turned to look him in the eye. "Have you ever fancied someone and they don't even realize how much you...l-love them?" she asked. "Because...that's how I feel with...you" she blurted out, turning away quickly. She didn't want to see his reaction.

The Doctor sighed, leaning forward again and placing his chin in his hands. "Oh, Rhys...You don't understand do you? It doesn't matter if I fancy you or not...I'm not even human...I've been the cause of millions of deaths, thousands of wars. I've more things on my conscious than you could ever even dream of understanding. I'm over a thousand years old. I never age, only change," he said quietly, closing his eyes. "You'd bore of me soon anyway. And you have your collage. I can't have you give that up over some alien..."

Rhys sighed. "But I _would_ give it up for you. I didn't even want to go to Juilliard. My parents pressured me into it. I'd give anything to be with you and to see all this," she indicated their surrondings.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, Rhys, you don't understand...I'm not even human. We wouldn't be able to-" he broke off, covering his face with his hands.

Rhys stood up. "I understand..." she started to say, but stopped. She looked over at him. "To what? Be together? Is that what you were going to say?" she asked.

"We...we could, but it wouldn't last long. I told you, I never age. You will..." the Doctor sighed and stood up. "Come on, Rhys. Let's go take care of this first. We can work it out along the way." He smiled softly and held his hand out to her. He really needed to stop having human women as companions….Or even just companions in general.

Rhys smiled back and took his hand. "Alright. Let's go sort this out," she replied.

"Theres my girl! Come along, then, Grey!" The Doctor grasped her hand and pulled her through the crowded streets of silver, leading over to the poilice station where Esme was pacing worridly. Seeing teh Doctor, she smiled and threw herself at him in a hug. "Oh, I was so worried!" The Doctor grinned and wrapped his free arm around her in a hug. "I'm fine. Now come on, let's go see what we can figure out, shall we?"

"Yeah, let's go see what's going on" Rhys said, leading the way into the police station. The place was hopping with activity. She glanced around, a little flustered, and drew back, allowing the Doctor to take the lead.

The Doctor strode purposefully up to the desk and leaned over the counter to speak with the purple man behind it. He flashed his I.D. at the man and they began conversing in the language of the planet. Rhys and Esme hadn't spent enough time in the TARDIS to have it translated for them, so they couldn't make out what was being said. Nodding, the Doctor clasped the mans forearm and nodded his head, then turned back to the girls. "Alright, looks like we have access to the morgue."

Rhys made a face. "Oh we have to look at dead bodies!" she moaned. "If I wanted to look at dead bodies, I would've become a doctor."

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, well, I _am_ the doctor, doctor of homicidal investagations, apparently, and you two," he said, grabbing their arms and dragging them after him, "Are my lovely helpers. Now let's go! hould be fun, eh?" he enthused, grinning eagerly as he pulled them down the golden hallways.

Rhys allowed herself to be dragged down the hall but she didn't go quietly. "Helpers? Anyway, how'd you convince them that you're a doctor of homicidal investigations? And why couldn't you make us doctors to?"

The Doctor grumbled at her, and pulled out his I.D. "Pshycic paper. Makes them think I am what they want me to be. Hence, I'm a doctor, you are helpers," he explained quickly. Their quide led them into a room made of the sapphires from the forest, sterilized and sparkling. The Doctor let go of thr girls arms and followed the man over to a desk, where a body was covered by a sheet. "This is one of the latest victims. A young omni by the name of Hirta Glta. They were found in an alley way beside an old bookstore," the man explained in English do the girls could understand. He pulled the sheet back, revealling the face of the body. "And here is a picture of what they looked like before this. The Doctor scowled curiously at the body of the omni, taking the picture from the man and slipping it into his pocket. "Alright. So, we have what used to be an omni...She was more feminine, correct?" he asked, noting the female curves and angles. The examiner nodded, and teh Doctor turned back to the omni. "All right then...Horns. Horns are obviously new..." He put his glasses on and touched the tip of the brown horns that were growing rather horridly out of the omni's head. Cracks splintered down across its face, moving over its eyes and its mouth, splintering down its chest. "Oh, an omni is a creature that is both male and female. The amazing third gender..." he explained to the girls as an afterthought.

Rhys stared at the mutated omni. "What's happened to it? D'ya suppose someone did this to it?" she wondered out loud. Her face showed honest curiosity.

The Doctor reached over the body and grabbed a pair of tweezers from a table beside it. "Esme, you said you helped your mother in the hospital before she died, correct?" The girl nodded, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Then come here. I need your help." Esme hurried over, standing beside the table so she could hand him things without him having to reach over the body. "And Rhys? I need you to take that clipboard over there and write down everything I say, exactly as I say it." He pointed to a clipboard beside their guide, who picked it up and handed it over to her, moving out of the way. "Alright. Are you girls ready?"

Rhys nodded, picked up a pen, and grabbed the clipboard from the guide. "Ready, Doctor." she told him as she adjusted her glasses.

The Doctor pushed his glasses up and peered at the body. "Alright then. And Rhys? You might not want to look." He asked Esme for the scalpel, which she handed over to him, curious as to what he was going to do. He took it and ran his finger down the omni's chest before taking the scalpel down the same route. He handed Esme the scalpel and she took it form him, replacing it with a little flashlight which the Doctor shone inside of the omni. "Oh. Well then. There are traces of hydrochloric acid, paradichlorobenzene, and an unusually large amout of Rictornezenal formula." This earned a scowl from him. "But, Doctor, Rictornezenal isn't used on this planet. We have forbidden it. That serum hasn't been seen since the Dull Ages," the attendant said, frowning as well."No, it hasn't...So what is it doinginside you?" he muttered. "Rhys, write what he said down. That's important." He turned back to the body. Handing Esme the flashlight, he took his jacket off and hung it over an empty table, pushing his sleeves up. "Alright. And now, the last bit..." He stuck his hand inside the omni, pulling out a tiny, almost translucent blue rock. "Oh, yeah. This omni has had Rictornesenal formula. This little rock here is an after effect of using the serum. If this thing appeared, then the serum was unsuccessful, and the patient died after undergoing painful mutations." He handed Esme the rock and she placed it on the table, resolving to wash it later. "Flashlight, Esme," the Doctor said, taking the light from her. "And the tweezers." She handed over the tweezers and he moved up to the omni's head, scraping at the ugly brown horns on her head. "Put this in a bag. Brown acidic flakes, concentrated on the hrons and," he handed the sample to Esme and peered down at the face. "On the face...Strange..." He took a sample from there as well, handing it to Esme. She placed both in seperate bags, labeling them and leaving them behind the rock.

Rhys turned her back to the Doctor, Esme, and the attendent. She was afraid if she looked, she'd be sick. But she wrote down exactly what the Doctor said in her neatest cursive. "Can I turn back yet, Doctor?" she asked, finishing her last note with a flourish.

"Just a second, Rhys..." The Doctor and Esme closed up the slit on the omni's stomach, then pulled the sheet back over it. "Yes, you can go ahead and turn around now, Rhys." The Doctor handed the instruments back to Esme, then walked across the sparkling blue floors to the emerald sink. "Jewels everywhere..." he muttered absently, waving his hand over the sink to turn it on and running his hands under the pure water. The blood ran off his hands, staining the inside of teh sink red as he washed.

Esme finished cleaning up the work station, setting the rock from teh omni's stomach carefully into a bag. SHe couldn't clean it until after John examined it. She grabbed a bigger and slipped the three smaller bags into it, handing it to the Doctor as he came back, moving to go wash her own hands.

"Ok" Rhys breathed. She turned around and set the clipboard down. "What's that?" she gasped, her eyes falling on the rock.

He nodded to her clipboard. "You wrote about it. I pulled it from teh omni's stomach. Proof that it had an illegal substance was injected into it." The Doctor eyed the bag carefully, holding it up. "Now, we need to get back to the TARDIS and run some tests. I haven't used the lab in so long..." he said, muttering that last part to himself.

Rhys raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. ""Well it's one thing to write about it and another to see it," She told him. "C'mon. To the TARDIS," she added with the tiniest of smiles.

"To the TARDIS!" the Doctor exclaimed, thanking the attendant again and hurrying out if te building, the samples in his hands.

Rhys had to jog to keep up with the Doctor. "So, someone's doin' this to them, yeah?" she asked, looking up at him.

Yep. And this," he said, gesturing to his bag. "Will show us who." Spying the TARDIS, he snapped his fingers and hurtled inside as the doors were opening, Esme close behind. He ran through the control center, hoping the railing and dissapearing into on of teh room, only to reappear a second later. "Did either of you-" "It's right here, John," Esme said, holding up his jacket. The Doctor smiled, releived, and disappeaered back into the room, Esme sighing and following after the hyperactive man.

Rhys arrived near the Doctor completely out of breath. "Did you...ever think...to go a little...slower? Not everyones...as tall...as you!" she huffed angrily. Her cheeks were as red as her hair.

The Doctor just grinned at her and handed Esme the rock, taking the other two samples to one side of the enourmous room. "Esme, scan the rock. I'll be over in a minute to get the readings. Rys, come help me over here, would you?" He turned to a giant computer, puching in codes and terms, the two bags sitting beside him on a desk jutting out from the wall. "Call me when it dings," he said to Rhyss, scurrying over to where Esme was scanning the rock.

Rhys stood at the computer, "Ok." She watched as the Doctor hurried to help Esme. She bit back a boat load of snide remarks. _What am I, a secretary? First he has me taking notes and now I'm sitting, waiting for a computer to ding!_

The Doctor held a microscope up to the bloody rock, examining it for any sign or hint, anything he could use. Frustration was clearly outlined on his features, but his face held that glint of wonder her got whenever he was challenged by something. "Oh!" Something clicked inhis head, and he handed the rock back to Esme, running back over to Rhys. "Rhys! Imagine your species is gone, obliterated. There aren't mny of you left, maybe two or three, and you are all the same gender, unable to reproduce. _But_ you have this serum used thousands of years ago that assimilate beings similiar in genitic make up to yourself, transforming them into one of your species. What would you do with that?" he asked, excitement lighting his face.

Rhys thought for a second but then it dawned on her. She grabbed the Doctor's arms. "Create new members!" she cried. "That's what they're doing isn't it? Rebuilding their species!"

"Exactly! But the serums isn't working on everyone they try, mutating and killing them instead. My guess would be females, since they seem to have targeted only omni's and males. Now we just have to find the perfect place in this city, somewhere they could hide easily, but still easily sway people into coming in..." The Doctor broke off, running his hand through his hair, his glasses perched percariously on the tip of his nose.

Rhys grinned. "We should hold a stakeout. Does the TARDIS have a kitchen? We're gonna need some coffee and donuts," She said seriously.

The Doctor cocked his head, confused. "It's an Earth analogy. You wouldn't get it, space boy," Esme said cheerily, walking over. "The TARDIS is scanning the rock. It'll ding when it's done." She looked curiously up at him. "Does everything in here ding? No other sounds?"The Doctor smiled. "I like the sound of a 'ding'. Dings are fun. And yes, kitchen, downstairs. I don't eat, really, so I have no idea what the TARDIS has stocked in there."

Rhys laughed at the Doctor's expression. "It's something the cops do back on good ole Earth. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm rather coffee deprived so I'm going to see if your box can manage a latte," With that, she headed out the door but instead of going down the corridor to the stairs, she flattened herself against the wall listening in to see what was up with Esme and the Doctor.

"Doctor...How do you do this?" The Doctor looked over at her, confused. "What do you mean?" he asked, leaning against the wall. "You travel alone in your TARDIS with all of time and space, along with the many dimensions within and beyond it... all in your hands, under your fingertips, the whole universe. You can do whatever you want, anytime... anywhere. You can travel wherever you'd like... With such greatness and beauty in a world and life like this, don't you ever feel... lonely? It's all so vast and large, time and space. I thought that the ocean was large. But this? It's far more than just the ocean. It's a calming sense of sadness touched and accented with happiness. How do you live your life? How long will you live? How many people have you met? And how many people have you lost?" Esme asked softly, turning to the Doctor.

The Doctor looked away, unable to answer. "Come on. Lets go get you something to eat," he said quietly, turning and heading out the door, memories flashing through his mind of things he would really rather not remember.

Rhys nearly fell over when the Doctor came out of the room. She pressed herself against the wall and held her breath, hoping he'd walk in the other direction. _If he catches me, he'll think bad of me! I wouldn't want that!_

The Doctor brushed past Rhys, walking straight for the console room, a jar with the stone sealed inside it in his hand.

Esme came out of the room after him, leaning against the doorframe, a look of sadness in her eyes. He was going through so much...But if he opened up, it wouldn't be to her...

Rhys let out her breath in a sigh of relief. She stood in the middle of the corridor for a moment, then followed the Doctor to the console room. "You ok?" she asked, standing a few feet behind him.

The Doctor held the jar up, examing the stone inside. He had sealed it in there when he discovered the dormant flesh eating mini life form on it, and he hadn't wanted the girls to touch it when it activated. He was now watching them, his gaze on the jar but his mind elsewhere. "Yeah. Fine. Go eat something, Rhys."

Rhys moved next to the Doctor and touched his arm. "I may be human, but I'm not stupid. I know when someone's lying to me. And right now, you are. Tell me what's bothering you," she said gently but firmly.

The Doctor shook his head. "I'll explain later. After we solve this case." He set the jar on the console and walked off towards the kitchen, the TARDIS rumbling worridly in his ear. "No, I'm fine love. You focus on those samples." Entering the kitchen, he sat down at the small, circular table and fiddled with his screwdriver while Esme bustled about, making food for the three of them.

Rhys sat down on the Doctor's right and stared hard at Esme. "So you're a dancer, a model, a doctor, _and_ a chef. You a nun as well?" she said. Glancing from the Doctor to Esme, she aswered her own question. "Guess not."

Esme grinned. "Nope. They kicked me out," she admitted, trying to keep the tone light and friendly. She didn't care how much she disliked Rhys, fighting was the last thing the Doctor needed. She glanced at Rhys, hoping she would understand and hold off. Esme didn't think John could deal with that right now.

Rhys caught the glance and raised an eyebrow at Esme. However, she got the hint and remained quiet. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. She wondered if the Doctor had a piano on board. Maybe she'd ask him after this was all over..or now. She leaned back in her seat and turned to him. "Hey Doctor. D'ya happen to have a piano?" she asked.

The Doctor glanced up at Rhys, processing her question. Was there? "Is there a piano, dear?" he asked, speaking to the TARDIS which whirred in his mind, confirming that, yes, there was. "Yes. It's in the library beside the pool," he answered, just as Esme set out spaghetti. The Doctor surprised himself by taking a plate, much to Esme's pleasure. He was so skinny...He needed to eat something.

Rhys shook her head, refusing a plate of the spaghetti. "No thank you. I'm not hungry." she told Esme. She didn't really eat much because she was used to going hungry. Her parents had been poor but they had invested in music for her so she'd have a career later in life. When she'd gotten a full scholarship to Juilliard, they couldn't have been more thrilled. But still, growing up, she usually only ate two light meals a day, so at collage, she did the same. Standing, she walked over to the coffee maker in the corner to make a cup, leaving the Doctor and Esme to eat at the table in peace.

The Doctor ate the plate of food in front of him silently, his head so jammed full of thoughts he felt like they were going to slip out in another ramble. Finished, he stood and walked out, nodding absently to the girls before heading for the main room for some much needed quality time with the TARDIS. She never actually _spoke _to him, but they communicated through feelings and emotion, memories and of course, she understood what he said to her.

Esme sighed, looking over at Rhys. "I'm worried about him..." she admitted quietly, her eyes worried.

"Mmm," Rhys nodded in agreement. She took a sip of her coffee before speaking to Esme again."I excpect he's seen a lot of things..." she said absently.

"He's not human, obviously...So what do you think he is?" Esme asked, genuinely curious. "He's so strange and yet...That's perfectly normal to him...He's a curious man, that one..." she said, taking a sip of her tea.

Rhys sighed. "Well he did say something about Time Lords during our run in with those Angels. Yes, I think he said he was one." she said slowly, taking another sip of coffee. "I hope he can solve this mystery," she muttered.

Now we have the question of what a Time Lord is, and where he's from..."Esme sighed, climbing to her feet. "Come on, we should go check on him..."

The Doctor was back in the lab, talking to the TARDIS about the results he had receives. "Hahah, yes! I know where they are, old girl, and it's all thanks to you, again." He smiled at something she tossed in his head. "Yes, you are most definitly awesome. Now, I have someplace to be." He hurried from the room, grabbing his jacket and slipping it on. "Rhys! Esme! Come on, we have to go!" he shouted as he ran through the control room and out the door.

Esme smiled, turning back to Rhys. "I do believe he's found something! COme on, Rhys, let's hurry!" She raced out of the room after him, the smile on her face.

Rhys trailed behind for a moment. _Did we just have a civilized conversation?_ she thought to herself. After a moment's hesitation, she ran after them.

"There!" the Doctor said, pointing out a large building. A theatre of all things. "The perfect place. People come and go through theatre's all the time, it would be simple to snatch someone from such a large crowd!"

Rhys nodded, "So there stealing people from here, yeah? What're we gonna do now?" she asked, then, she suddenly suggested, "How about we use Esme as bait?"

Esme rolled her eyes. "Haha, hi-freakin-larious," she said, glaring at Rhys. "But actually, I'll do it." She shrugged. "I'd be happy to help."

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. I will not use either of you as bait. Besides, neither of you are what they are looking for. They're females. They want males, not more girls."

Rhys smiled at the Doctor. "Thanks for volunteering! You're a bloke. We'll use you for bait, eh? How does that sound?"

The Doctor held his hands up. "Hold on, you two! I never volunteered for anything..."

Esme smiled. "Oh, but you did! Come along, Smith!" She grabbed his arm and yanked the protesting man into the building, depositing him inside. "There! Now, we wait!"

Rhys thought for a second. "Um, Esme? What do we do if they come!" she said frantically. "We've got no plan at all!"

Why, we're in a theatre, Rhys! We improvise!" Esme said laughing. "Are you ready, sir?"

The Doctor huffed. "Yes, well, it's not like I have much choice, do I? You evil little midget.." he said, glaring at her. Esme giggled and bowed. "Thank you, sir!"

He grunted. "Your both evil little things..."

Rymt walked quietly up the stairs from the basement, her glamour perfected to make her appear as a female of this planet. "Oh?" she said, spying a rather tall man and two much shorter girls. "Well, he'll do...Don't you agree, sisters?" She held the glowong ball in her hands up, watching the three.

Rhys laughed. "I try." She turned to Esme. "Let's go find a place to stakeout," she suggested.

As the girls scurried off to hide behind the counter, Rymt glided gracefully across the floor, her beautiful ice blu hair piled neatly atop her head. "Greeting," she said, extending her arm in the tradition greeting. The Doctor took it and bowed with her, then shoved his hands in his pockets. "Can I help you?" he asked, feining ignorance." "Yes, I beleive you can. First, may I ask what a human is doing here?" "Oh, I'm not human. Not even close." The Doctor smiled at her. But you look it," she replied, shock obvious on her pretty face. "Nope! I'm a Time Lord." "But I thought they had all died?" The Doctor nodded. "They did. I'm the last one." "Really? Well, would you follow me then...?" Oh a Time Lord! This was even better than she had imagined! "The Doctor, please," he supplied as he took her arm and followed her, disapearing around a corner and heading down a flight of stairs.

Rhys nudged Esme. "C'mon! We can't let them out of our sight," she said as she popped up from behind the counter.

The Doctor forced a smile when the lady pulled out a large syringe, pulling on the straps that bound him to the table. "You don't want to try and assimilate me. I wouldn't make it. I have more hearts than you do, it would kill me," he said, eyeing the large needle. "Ah, but how do you know that, Doctor?" the youngest of the three, Grinx, tapped his nose, smiling. "We are going to rebuild our civilization. There's nothing you can do to convince us otehrwise." The Doctor scanned the room, glimpsing the girls sneaking in behind the three women. "Really? Because that Galtriton over there, the little blue circle thing, looks pretty unstable. In fact, I would bet that turning the green dial to the left and switching the internal red and purple with each other, and the blakc clip switched with the orange-y one, it would make something very bad happen. Especially if the Galtriton was then dropped, which the instructions say specifically not to do, you know. Shakes everything up. Would be very bad if that happened after someone did all those things to it, no?" Grinx frowned. "Oh, do shut up. You're spouting nonsense."

Esme shook her head. "Did you hear the Doctor? He wants us to get to that little blue thing over tehre, and do what he just explained to it."

"Exactly! You do that and I'll distract them!" Rhys replied through gritted teeth. "Wait until I pull their attention away..." With that, Rhys wandered into the room, hands in pockets. She stood in the doorway with an expression of suprise on her face. "Oh dear Doctor. You've got yourself into a bit of a sticky wicket haven't you?"

"Yes, that seems to be quite obvious. A little help would be nice, of course," the Doctor replied, feigning irritation as Esme worked on the machine. The women stared at Rhys for a second before moving, chasing after her.

Esme grabbed the blue and began fiddling with it, praising high heaven for her amazing memory. She did exactly as the Doctor had instruced, then yelled out in victory. "Hey, ladies! Looking for me?" Smirking as they turned toward, she let the thing drop from her hands and clatter to the floor. A very ominous sounding ticking noise emitted from it, and she ran over to help Rhys as the women tried to put the thing back to gether.

"That was their cloaking device you just destroyed. Ancient technology, a little bit of fiddling and you have a mini bomb, capable of taking out this entire basement and half of the theatre," he commented calmly, still strapped to the table.

Rhys smiled at the Doctor and looked over at Esme. "Let's just take him like this. Be way easier to keep track of him this way," she suggested, standing on her tiptoes so she could see eye to eye with the Doctor. "Whose an evil little thing?" she asked gleefully.

"Yes, yes you both are. Now, evil alien women are coming this way, and they look very not happy. Can we go? Please?" he said, eyeing the approaching women as the ticking got faster. "Oh, and my I remind you that there is currently _a bomb in the room?_"

"Alright, alright. I've had my fun," she laughed, unhooking the restraints. "C'mon, alien boy. Oh and you too, Esme," Rhys said with a grin.

"Yes yes, lets go now!" He grabbed both the girls hands and dragged them up the stairs and out of the empty building just as the theatre blew. "Oh...Pure gold theatre..Don't fancy paying that, do you?"

Rhys laughed and hugged the Doctor. "Nope, but someone has to," she replied. "Wait.." she didn't take her arms from around him but looked up. "You blew up the theatre with them inside.." her voice trailed off.

The Doctor smiled and pulled a small orb from his jacket. "Yes, but they're safe in here. The medicinal and scientific advances on this planet will be able to reconstruct them from this, and possibly even create new life forms. I beleive they have stored in here the genetic coding of every single being of their species," he said, holding the glowing pastel pink orb out to her.

Rhys pulled away. "Oh, ok." she replied, staring at the orb. "At least you didn't kill them." She smiled. "So, where to next?" she asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "First I have to go give this orb to their lab. You two go wait in theTARDIS. I'll be right there, alright?"

Rhys nodded. "Alright then." She motioned for Esme to follow her.

After depositing the orb with the lab head, he followed after the girls giving a final glance at the shining city that was so amazingly similar to his own before shutting the doors behind him.


	3. The Doctor's What!

Rhys glanced over at th

e Doctor as he arrived. "Can I choose where we go next?" she asked.

The Doctor nodded. "I don't see why not. Where would you like to go?" he asked, flipping switches on the TARDIS controls.

Rhys glanced over at one of the consols that was reading out the names of planets. She said the first one she saw. "How about Gaia? What's that one like?" she replied.

He grinned, pulling a switch down and punching in a code on a screen hanging down above the, "Why don't I just show you?" Pulling on final lever, the TARDIS jolted, sending the unprepeared girls crashing to the floor. "Since you asked, why don't you go look out first, Rhys?"

Rhys jumped to her feet and scurried over to the doors. Slowly, she opened one and poked her head out. "Wow," she breathed. Before her was a magnificant city, not made of jewels and gold like Galbtor's capitol had been but still, breathtaking. Rising above the rest of the city was a gigantic palace.

"Well, come on, then! Allons-y!" he said, stepping out past her and walking toward the city.

"Hold on a tick," Rhys said, putting her hand up. "It looks like there's a party or something going on down there!" she exclaimed pointing to a street that was crowded with cheering people.

Shall we go down there then?" The Doctor and Esme began walking down towards it, motioning fo rRhys to fool. Pushing their way through the crowd, they squeezed into the front."Looks like a royal thing," the Doctor commented.

Rhys raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. There's royalty here..." but her voice trailed off as she caught sight of someone. Riding sidesaddle on a large white horse was a girl about her age. But this girl wasn't ordinary. She had wings! Large, pure white bird wings! But other than that, she loojed relativley normal. She had long, platinum blonde hair and was wearing a long dark blue dress and silver tiara.

Valeris rode along on her trusty steed, Storm, waving to her future subjects and giving them huge smiles. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and today she had to find a husband or give up the throne. She wouldn't let that happen! _Will I never find anyone worthy?_ she was thinking when she saw **him.** He was tall and thin, with handsomley messy dark hair. He was the one. She turned the horse of tge street and headed towards him.

The Doctor watched curiously as the princess cantered over towards him. "Uhm, yes, hello! May I help you?" he asked,eyeing her, only a little worried. He didn;t think this was one of the planets he had offended...

"Hello dear sir. Would you be so kind as to accompany me to the palace." Valeris greeted him with a smile. She looked over at Esme and Rhys, eyeing them coldly. "You're young friends may cone as well."  
>Rhys gasped, "Doctor, let's go to the palace!" she cried, gripping his arm<p>

After receiving similiar whining from Esme, he sighed and nodded. "I guess...But the first sign of trouble, and we are gone. Got it? And fpor heavens sake, don't run off!" he added, glancing at them. "How will we get there?" he asked the princess.

"You'll walk behind me." Valeris answered. "It's not that far. Oh and do call me Valeris." Then she smiled as she turned her horse around and whispered, "Everyone will know who you are."  
>Rhys gasped when everyone exploded into cheers upon them stepping into the street. "Guess they like us, huh?" she said<p>

Suspicion had begun to creep into the Doctors mind. "Maybe..." he muttered, looking suspiciously at the princess in front of them as they arrived at the castle.

A groom was already standing at the palace gets as Valeris dismounted Stirm and handed the reins to him. "Oh dear me." she gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "You have me at a slight disadvantage. You know my name but I do not know your's."

"This is Rhys, and Esme, my companions," he said, pointing to each of the girls in turn. "And I'm the Doctor," he added, gesturing to himself. "May I ask why were invited here?"

Valeris smiled at him. "You'll find out soon enough Doctor. But first meet my parents." she replied with a grin. Glancing over at Rhys and Esme, she added, "Those two are welcome to explore on their own."  
>"Wicked!" Rhys exclaimed. "Can we Doctor?"<p>

"Just...Be careful, and stick together, all right?" the Doctor said, turning to the princess. "Alright then. Shall we?"

Valeris grinned and lead the Doctor to the throne room, where her parents were. The King and Queen both stood upon their arrival. "Mum, dad, this is the Doctor," she told them, grabbing his arm and squeezing it. "He's my choice!" the Queen had tears in her eyes. "Did you hear that! Our little girl's chosen someone!" the King cleared his throat. "Yes, quite wondeful."

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed. "What choice? Choice for what? I never made any choice! What are you talking about?"

The Queen glanced at the Doctor. "What? You did not know. You are now engaged to Valeris! She's chosen you to be her husband!" Valeris smiled. "Isn't exciting? I can't wait for the wedding"

The Doctor stared in stunned disbelief. "What?"


	4. Breaking Engagements

"So, where should we check out first?" Esme asked, fingering the TARDIS key around her neck. She had forgotten to give that back to the Doctor earlier...She'd have to remember to next time they saw him.

"Umm, that way." Rhys pointed to what appeared to be a garden made completly of jewels. "Let's check that out."

Esme nodded and followed Rhys out to the jeweled garden.

"Wow..."Rhys whispered, fingering an amethyst flower with an emerald stem. "This is unbelievable!"

Valeris laughed. "You're my fianceè!" With that, she wrapped her arms around the Doctor's neck and kissed him.

The Doctor pulled away, his face bright red. "What?" 

Valeris sighed, her arms still draped around his neck. "Doctor, it's really not that hard to grasp. I chose you! Now you're engaged to me!" she said cheerfully, drawing closer for another kiss.

The Doctor put his hands out to stop her. "Yes, well, you see, about that..." He disintangled himself from her and quickly stepped away. ""I'm afraid this won't work. We aren't even the same species."

Valeris shook her head. "Oh but Doctor, you don't see it do you? I don't care if you're not Gaian. I'm the heir to the throne and I've chosen you!" she stamped her foot for emphasis.

"Yes, I understand that, but why me?" the Doctor asked, noting her pouty behavior.

Valeris smoothed her hair back and regained her composure. "I have been looking for the right person since I was sixteen. I hadn't found someone until I saw you. I just felt you were right..plus I think you're pretty foxy..."

"Yes, alright, uhm, where are my friends?" the Doctor asked, backing away towards the door.

Sighing, Valeris turned to one of the guards. "Take him to find his friends, but do not allow him to leave the palace grounds." she told him. He bowed. "Yes, milady." He walked over to the Doctor and took his arm. "Come along sir. Let's go find your friends and tell them the happy news."

"Happy? Happy to who? Do I look _happy_ to you? I most certaintly am not happy. I'm quite the opposite of _happy,_ thank you. I'm actually a little mad right now. And surprised, but definitly not happy," he rambled in protest as the gaurds led him out. "What makes you think I'm even remotly happy?"

The guard looked at the Doctor in suprise, "Well any normal person would be _pleased_ to be chosen by Her Royal Highness." He told the Doctor. "Ah there's your friends." The guard said, nodding towards the two girls in the jeweled garden.  
>Rhys looked up for a second and caught sight of a red-faced Doctor being lead towards them by a guard. "Oh Doctor, what did you do now? Did you offend the Princess?" she asked him with an amused grin on her face.<p>

The Doctor huffed and frowned at her. "I'm glad you two find this so amusing, but no, I didn't offend the princess. I wish it was that." "Well, if you didn't offend her, what did you do?" Esme asked, trying to hold back laughter. "Apparently I, uhm...Struck her fancy. I'm marrying the princes..." he added angrily, muttereing to himself in another language.

Rhys gaze suddenly hardened. "You're what? Doctor, you agreed to marry her?" She exclaimed angrily.  
>Valeris sat in her room. <em>Why isn't he pleased? He was chosen by the Princess of Gaia! Am I not good enough for him?<em> she thought to herself. Sighing, she decided to go talk to him.

The Doctor looked increduosly over at Rhys. "What? You think I agreed? Would I have guards escporting me if I had? No, I most certainly did not agree."

Esme couldn't hold it back anymmore. She bent over double with laughter, holding her stomach.

Valeris stood at the top of the steps. Catching sight of them in her jewel garden, she waved. "Doctor! Over here!" she called.  
>Rhys turned at the sound of Valeris's voice. "Well, go on then." she said, unable to suppress her laughter. "You're fianceè's calling you."<p>

"Oh shut up..." he said, turning and walking over to her rather regretfully and very much aware of the gaurds at his back. "What is it?"

Valeris took his hands. "Why are you so unhappy? I thought you'd be pleased." She said, looking at him with an expression of curiosity on her face. 

"Yes, well...This isn't my home planet. I'm a different species from everyone here. And I have to get my companions home..." he muttered, glancing around him.

Rhys looked over at Esme. "He arrives on a planet and becomes engaged within the hour. He's something else isn't he?"

Esme stood and wiped the tears from her eyes, still laughing. "You know what we should do? I say we bring him to a planet full of male deprived women, toss him in and video tape it."

Rhys laughed. "Yeah, and the worse thing he'd do is call us evil little midgets!" she glanced over at the pair. "He's probably trying to back out of it right now."

Valeris sighed and turned away for a second. "I didn't want to have to tell you...it's never been used before..." She said in a stage whisper. "But it's the law. I've chosen you and you must go through with it." she told him firmly.

"What!" the Doctor exclaimed, rather loudly. "What do you mean, the law?" he asked, quieter this time

Valeris turned away, a tiny smile on her face. She was lying of course. There was no such law. But it had worked once for her grandmother, the former Queen. "I mean exactly what I say. It's the law."

Esme sighed. "He's just so afraid to be mean to anyone..."

"I don't know...five quid says the end up in a shouting match," Rhys wagered. "I think he's losing his patience."

Esme regarded them thoughtfully. "Ten quid and the TARDIS dishes by hand, and it's a deal," she ammended.

Rhys grinned. "Done," she replied, shaking Esme's hand.

The Doctor took a deep breath, trying to cool off. "What do you mean it's the law? What kind of law is that?"

. Valeris kept her back to him. "An ancient law of our planet states that the heir to the throne must become engaged by their eighteenth birthday or forfeit the throne. The law also states that whomever the heir choses, is to be married to said heir, whether they like it or not." The first part, about forfeiting the throne, unlike her made up law, was real.

_Oooh, I hate this planet..._ The Doctor sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Fine. What do I do?" he asked, deafeatedly

Valeris turned back and smiled. "Oh nothing much. Just marry me and stick around until the day I die. No big deal," She replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Now, what kind of cake would you like for the wedding?"

The Doctor groaned, stuck his hands in his pockets. "Let's just go get this over with..." he said, heading back inside.

Valeris clapped her hands. "Excellent. The wedding will be in two days! I'll call the royal tailor and have them make you a suit." she babbled on, linking her arm through his. "I'll have someone show you to your quarters after our engagement is officially announced. Then, of course, we have the engagement dinner tonight..."

The Doctor allowed her to lead him in, onle half listening to what she was saying.

Esme smiled and turned back to Rhys. "Told you! Too nice for his own good. I do belive you owe me ten quid, and a date with the TARDIS sink," she said, smiling brightly.

Rhys sighed, fishing in her pocket for some money. "Here you go." she said, handing her the ten quid. "Now let's go see if we can get out of here."

Esme grinned and pocketed the money. "Yes, well, we can't leave without him, and he seems a bit.. tied up at the moment..."

Rhys sighed. "C'mon, let's go get him." She followed the pair up the stairs and appeared on the Doctor's other side. "So, when are we leaving?" she whispered to him.  
>Valeris continued to prattle on about the plans. "Wait until you see me in my wedding dress! I had it designed for me last year..."<p>

"Uhm, we aren't. Apperently I;m getting married again in two days...and then I can't ever leave," the Doctor informed them.

Rhys gaped at him. "Again? You were married before?" she hissed back. "And we have to stay here too?"  
>Valeris finally stopped speaking and looked over at Rhys and Esme. "Doctor, I have decided to ban those two from our wedding. I am not comfortable with them. But of course, you are welcome to invite any family members..."<p>

The Doctor shifted uncomftorably. "Yes, well, I'll explain later. And, no, no family. Those two would be my family..." he said, not looking at the two girls.

Esme gaped at the lady. "Banned? What do you mean, banned?"

Rhys glared at Valeris. "You can't ban us!" she snarled. "If the Doctor has to marry you, we're gonna be there!"  
>Valeris gazed calmy at the two angry girls. "I am the future Queen of Gaia. I can ban anyone I choose. And while the Doctor will become a prince, he will not overpower me."<p>

"Why can't they come, Valeris?" the Doctor asked, his voice tired.

Valeris didn't take her eyes of the pair. "I do not trust them. They'll try and ruin it! I can tell!" she explained to him, her patience running out.  
>Rhys glared at her a second longer before grabbing Esme's arm. "Let's go." She dragged her down the hall, her face determined.<p>

Valeris breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought they would never leave. So, I'm going to get ready for the public announcement. You're quarters are right across the hall from mine." She told him, climbing up a flight of elegant stairs and motioning for the Doctor to follow her.

Esme followed after Rhys, slightly baffled. "Where are we going?" she asked the red head, stumbling to keep up.

As soon as they were past the palace gates, Rhys turned to Esme. "We're going to find a library. We need to find a way to get the Doctor out of this!"

"We have two days. I say we go to that big, marbly looking building with the books in the windows and camp out until we can find it." Esme rubbed her arms nervously. Oh what a mess. Trying to save one alien from another alien...

Rhys nodded. "Let's see what they have on marriage laws..." Stopping at the front desk, she scrawled her name on the sign-in sheet and passed the pen to Esme.

Esme took teh pen and quickly scribbled her name and leaving the pen on the paper. "How about the section that says 'Law and Criminal Justice'? There should be sometihng there...I can check that section out..." she offered, walking over there and running her hand across the spines, looking at the hundreds of books. "Oh, geez...Good thing we have two days, cause there is alot of books here..." she called out to Rhys, turning back to the books. She pulled one resolutely from its place on the shelves, and settled herself to looking through it.

Rhys studied the spines of the books. She glanced at one _Nupital Laws of Gaia_, and pulled it from the shelf. "This looks promising.." she muttered, sitting down to read it. Just as she cracked open the book, a female librarian scurried around the corner. "Did you girls hear? The Princess is engaged! Their on the telly right now!" she squeaked. Rhys looked over at Esme. "Shall we go see then?" she asked.

Esme glanced up from her reading, startled. She hurriedly stood and went over to Rhys, nodding. "Yes, I think we should...Come on, Rhys..." They followed the librarian over, curious to see how the Doctor would handle this.

Valeris stood in front of the camera, clutching the Doctor's hand. The camera man looked at the pair. "Back in twenty seconds." he announced. She smoothed the front of her lavendar sundress with one hand and smiled. "Are you ready, Doctor?" she asked, looking up at him. 

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for this..." the Doctor murmered, glancing down at the camera man, dreading the interview ahead of them. 

Rhys stared at the telly screen, waiting for the comercials to end.

Esme looked impatiently at the telly. "I hate commercial...What the hell's a mormita anyway?" she mumbled, her eyes flicking over the commercials.

"Let's not ask," Rhys replied, gazing at the screen.  
>"We're back," the cameraman said. A reporter stepped forward. "So Princess, are you excited to be getting married?" he asked, holding a microphone out to her. "Indeed I am," she answered, shooting the Doctor a grin. "And to the perfect man." There was a collective "Awww" from the reporters and journalists present. A young woman took her place in front of them. "Doctor, how do you feel about being engaged to Gaia's former most eligible bachelorette?" she asked, poising a pen over her notebook.<p>

The DOctor blinked, trying to figure out how to answer without offending another planet. "It's great," he said, plastering a fake smile on his face. "I feel really lucky to have been chosen by her," he lied, wrapping an arm around her. If it wasn't for that rule, he'd be gone.

s muttered under her breath, "He's a terrible faker."  
>Valeris glanced at the camera man. "We have time for one more question. How about you?" she said, nodding towards a young man. "Doctor, why don't you give her a kiss for us?" he suggested. With his suggestion, every camera in the room turned towards the Doctor.<br>Rhys sighed. "Oh boy..."

The Doctor could see no way out of this. He smiled resolutley and took the princesses face in his hand. "Just one," he said teasingly to the camera man, leaning down and pressing his lips hers.

At this point, Rhys started laughing. "He must be so embarrassed, having to kiss that girl on live telly!" she whispered to Esme, so the librarian couldn't hear. Not that she'd notice as she had burst into tears of joy.  
>Valeris reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, loving every second of their kiss. Camera bulbs flashed like crazy around them. Some of the reporters had even broken out into cheers and applause.<p>

The Doctor pulled away then, a smile on his face. "There you go! Any more questions?" he asked, glancing around, eager to get going.

Valeris smiled at the Doctor. "Actually love, I think we're out of time." she replied gently. "Thank you all for coming!" she said, grinning at the reporters. "And we're clear!" the camera man said. "Very nice. It's obvious you two love each other!" he added. Valeris turned to the Doctor as the reporters filed out. "Why Doctor, I didn't know you were such a passionate kisser. You should do it more often!" She had started to walk towards the door, calling the last part over her shoulder. "See you at dinner tonight!"

The Doctor just sighed and walked inside, heading to his room.

"Oh, I'm so jealous..." Esme said giggling. "Now, what are we going to do? Back to the books?"

"Yeah. Back to the books." Rhys agreed, heading to where she had left the law book. Sitting down, she opened the book again, and started to read as fast as she could.

Esme nodded and ran back over to her rather large pile of rather large books. Opening up another one, she scanned through the table of contents, lighting up at a rather promising title. She read it over, gasped and read it again. "Rhys! I found the marriage laws! And look, here it says how you can disagree with a wedding, canceling it!" she called out, her voice giddy with happiness.

Rhys rushed over. "What do we have to do?" she asked, trying to read the text over Esme's shoulder.

Esme pointed to the paragraph. "It's just like on Earth. We object. But here we need evidence, a good reason why we beleive the wedding can't go on. And I think I found that reason." She flipped a few pages to an overview of teh wedding laws. "Look here. Tell me where the law that says you have to marry the princess if she picks you is."

Rhys's eyes widened. "It's not there! She made it up!" Her face fell. "But we are _banned_ from the wedding! And that's probably the reason why. She knew we'd figure it out! We have to find a way to get into that wedding."

Esme thought for a moment, then jumped up laughing and hugged Rhys. "His psychic paper! We can use that to pass as guests! And I'm sure there are lots of clothes in the TARDIS we can choose from."

Rhys smiled and hugged Esme back. "Five quid says he blows up when he finds out she lied to him," she laughed. "Now c'mon, we have a wedding to attend."


End file.
